Strawberry Cake
This is the best strawberry cake! It’s extra moist with lots of fresh strawberry flavor, filled with strawberry cream and topped with luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting. This easy strawberry cake recipe is the perfect thing to bake for strawberry season!
For this cake, fresh strawberries are cooked down to a thick reduction to add the most strawberry flavor to the cake without adding too much liquid. The strawberry reduction is added into the cake batter for the best fresh strawberry flavor, then, after baking, the cake is poked with holes and filled with a delicious strawberry cream made from the strawberry reduction, sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream. Then the cake is frosted with silky strawberry cream cheese frosting, which is quite literally the icing on the cake!
If you’re looking for other strawberry desserts, try my strawberry brownies, strawberry cupcakes, strawberry hand pies, or strawberry shortcake!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cake
It has the best strawberry flavor– It’s made with real strawberries instead of strawberry gelatin mix or strawberry extract, so there’s no artificial strawberry flavor!
It’s a super soft and moist cake. This cake is super moist thanks to the strawberry reduction and buttermilk. One bite and you’ll see what I’m talking about!
It’s frosted with strawberry cream cheese frosting. The frosting makes each bite of cake just completely melt in your mouth.
It’s filled with strawberry cream. Each bite is full of creamy strawberry goodness!
Simple Ingredients for Homemade Strawberry Cake
- Fresh Strawberries- will be pureed and cooked down to a thick reduction to add the most strawberry flavor to the cake
- Cake Flour– gives the cake the best, most tender crumb
- Granulated White Sugar– used to sweeten and add moisture to the cake
- Egg Whites– make sure they are room temperature
- Unsalted Butter-make sure it is softened
- Buttermilk– makes the cake extra moist
- Vanilla Extract – adds a sweet note to the cake
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda– help to give the cake it’s fluffy texture
- Salt– helps to bring out all the flavors
- Powdered Sugar– used to sweeten the cream cheese frosting
- Heavy Whipping Cream– used to make the strawberry cream
- Sweetened Condensed Milk– used to make the strawberry cream
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries– used to give the frosting extra strawberry flavor
- Cream Cheese– used to make the delicious frosting
Step by Step Instructions
See the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time.
STEP ONE: Add the fresh strawberries to a food processor and pulse until they are fully pureed. Add the strawberry puree to a large pot. Cook the strawberry puree over medium heat for 55-60 minutes until it is very thick and has reduced all the way down to 1 cup (240 ml). Let the reduction cool to room temperature. If needed, you can do this step a few days ahead to save on time!
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP THREE: Add the softened butter and granulated white sugar to a large bowl. Cream together for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. (You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Then add in the egg whites and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, about 1 minute.
STEP FIVE: Add in the buttermilk and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the strawberry reduction. Mix on medium speed until combined.
STEP SIX: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cake batter is combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
STEP SEVEN: Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper.
STEP EIGHT: Bake the cake and then let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully pull up on the parchment paper to release the cake from the pan, then continue to cool it on the wire rack until completely cooled.
STEP NINE: While the cake cools, make the strawberry frosting. Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Then add in the cream cheese and mix until fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy again. Add in the finely ground freeze-dried strawberries and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of strawberry reduction. Mix on medium-low then high speed until very fluffy. (If using a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment.)
STEP TEN: Make the strawberry cream by adding 1/4 cup (60 ml) of strawberry reduction and sweetened condensed milk to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the heavy cream to medium bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until firm peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Transfer it to a piping bag until ready to use.
STEP ELEVEN: When the cake is completely cooled, transfer it to a serving plate. Poke holes on the top of the cake using a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon. Pipe the strawberry cream into the holes of the cake.
STEP TWELVE: Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried strawberries and decorate with fresh strawberries if you desire, then serve!
FAQs
How do I store this cake? Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Do I have to use the strawberry cream filling? No! If you don’t want to, skip this step and just frost the cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting! It will still be very good!
Can this be made into a layered cake? Yes! I would suggest using 2 8-inch pans, or 3 6-inch pans. Baking times will vary, but stick with the same temperature: 350 F or 175 C. The frosting is a little on the soft side, so I would recommend chilling it well before trying to frost a layered cake with it!
Can this be made into cupcakes? Yes, it will make 24 cupcakes, or you can halve the recipe to make a dozen!
Pro Tips
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, scoop spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 120-125 grams.
Make sure all your wet ingredients are room temperature. You’ll have the best textured cake when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can make any kind of cake batter/donut batter “gummy”.
Troubleshooting cream cheese frosting:
- Make sure you really whip the butter until it is pale in color and fluffy, before adding the rest of the ingredients in. This will give you the best, and most fluffy, frosting.
- Make sure your butter is the right temperature, not too cold and not too soft. Usually 30-40 minutes out of the fridge is just right.
- Make sure your cream cheese is cold. This will help the frosting to have the right consistency.
- If your frosting gets too warm while assembling the cake, chill it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. Whip again with an electric mixer to get it back to the right consistency. This is a soft frosting because of the cream cheese so you may need to chill and rewhip a few times while putting the cake together.
If you make this cake please leave a star review! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Best Cake Recipes to Try Next Time:
Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Reduction
- 32 oz (908 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
For the Strawberry Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (280 g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) strawberry reduction from above
For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 1/4 cups (292 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (25 g) freeze dried strawberries
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry reduction from above
For the Strawberry Cream
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry reduction from above
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
For the Strawberry Reduction
- Add the fresh strawberries to a food processor and pulse until they are fully pureed.32 oz (908 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
- Add the strawberry puree to a large pot. Cook the strawberry puree over medium heat for 55-60 minutes until it is very thick and has reduced all the way down to 1 cup (240 ml). Let the reduction cool to room temperature. If needed, you can do this step a few days ahead to save on time!
For the Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9 inch pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.2 1/2 cups (280 g) cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the softened butter and granulated white sugar to a large bowl. Cream together for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. (You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- Then add in the egg whites and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, about 1 minute.6 large egg whites, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add in the buttermilk and the strawberry reduction. Mix on medium speed until combined.3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature, 1/2 cup (120 ml) strawberry reduction from above
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cake batter is combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 43-46 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully pull up on the parchment paper to release the cake from the pan, then continue to cool it on the wire rack until completely cooled.
For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.(If using a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment.)3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Then add in the cream cheese and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together.2 1/4 cups (292 g) powdered sugar
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries to Ziploc baggie and roll them with a rolling pin until they are a fine powder. (You can also use a food processor.)1 cup (25 g) freeze dried strawberries
- Add in the finely ground freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry reduction. Mix on medium-low then high speed until very fluffy.1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry reduction from above
For the Strawberry Cream
- Add the strawberry reduction and sweetened condensed milk to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry reduction from above, 1/2 cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- Add the heavy cream to medium bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until firm peaks form.1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Transfer it to a piping bag until ready to use.
Assembling the Cake
- When the cake is completely cooled, transfer it to a serving plate. Poke holes on the top of the cake using a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Pipe the strawberry cream into the holes of the cake.
- Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried strawberries and decorate with fresh strawberries if you desire, then serve!
Can you make this in a 9×13 or 11×7 pan?
Yes you can! I used an ingredient calculator. Here is everything I used for 9 x 13:
Strawberry Cake:
Cake flour 3 5/8 cup (403 g)
Baking powder; 2 1/4 tsp
Baking soda; 3/8 tsp
Salt; 3/4 tsp
Unsalted butter; 14 1/2 tbsp (202 g)
Granulated sugar; 2 1/8 cup (432 g)
Egg whites; 9 egg whites
Vanilla extract; 3 tsp
Buttermilk; 1 1/8 cup
Strawberry reduction; 3/4 cup
Strawberry Cream cheese frosting:
Unsalted butter; 1 1/8 cups (242 g)
Cream cheese; 244 g
Powdered sugar; 3 1/4 cup
Freeze dried strawberries; 36 g
Strawberry reduction; 6 tbsp
Strawberry cream filling:
Strawberry reduction; 6 tbsp
Sweetened condensed milk; 3/4 cup
Heavy cream; 3/4 cup
For the reduction, I used 2 plastic containers of strawberries (standard grocery store sized, specifically from Pavilions). I had just enough.
Cook time is 34-40 mins at 350 degrees F. Start checking around 32 mins. Cook until the center no longer jiggles.
*Since the recipe was adjusted specifically for a 9 x 13 pan, some measurements needed to be more exact, hence some of the ingredients being in grams. Highly recommend a scale for cooking/baking, not even just for this recipe!
Hope this helps!
I’m usually very picky when it comes to cake and cupcakes recipes, but this one is amazing! I made this recipe (minus the cream filling) for a friend’s birthday a few weeks ago, and I made them into mini cupcakes. Despite accidentally making the wrong type of frosting (she was thinking she’d like a different frosting, not cream cheese), we actually really liked it despite not particularly liking cream cheese frosting! So I definitely recommend this recipe even if you’re on the fence. The texture was amazing and it had such a nice strawberry flavoring. I also made the cake recipe again a few days ago, this time regular cupcakes, but with store bought vanilla frosting for a more subtle fruity taste (I wasn’t sure if everyone at that gathering would like the full recipe). And they were a hit both ways, so it really is the recipe that can do no wrong! It was also very simple with easy to follow instructions, I can’t wait to try out more recipes from this author (especially the strawberry brownies and blueberry cookies ?)
I spent hours on this cake and while the end product is beautiful it is honestly a bit bland. The cake itself is grainy—it feels like a gluten-free cake even though it’s not. This pregnant lady is exhausted and disappointed. Not worth the effort.
skill issue
The cake had potential but turned out bland on my first attempt. While the cream, and frosting tasted great, the cake lacked flavor. If I try this recipe again, I’ll definitely double the fruit puree to enhance the taste. Somewhat disappointed with the initial results, but I see room for improvement.
Can there be a KETO version of this made? Substitute the sugar and flour for Keto friendly options maybe? ??♀️????♂️
Nice recipe !
I was initially worried the cake might turn out bland and dry, so I decided to enhance it the same way I did with my pistachio-lemon cake. I added a strawberry compote mix along with almond milk and condensed milk to soak the sponge. It really brought out the strawberry flavor and made the cake wonderfully moist and flavorful!
I don’t know where in the hell this woman got this recipe, but if she invented it, she’s an idiot! The frosting recipe makes enough to easily ice three 8 inch layers in between the layers and cover the cake as well. The cream that’s piped into the cake, I had over half of that left over. I poked so many holes in that cake and filled it with cream, trying to use it up, but had to stop because we would not be able to cut this cake without it falling apart.
The freeze dried strawberries make the frosting crunchy, it’s impossible to even MAKE the frosting until the cream cheese is softened, the reduction has ZERO sugar in it and was so unbelievably tart that it overpowered any sugar in the cake.
Honestly, it’s the worst recipe ingredient wise, and most wasteful recipe that I’ve ever seen and I wonder if she invented it or if she got it from someone else. And I can’t imagine that she made that in a 9 x 9 pan. Honestly, just skip this recipe because there are a lot better ones out there that aren’t as labor intensive, taste way better and cost a lot less to make
skill issue
What skill are you at Greg?
I love this cake!!!!! I’m making it for a second time, but wondering if I can make it a sheet cake. How long should I bake it for?
I just made this cake off season, because they sold a few packages of very tasty strawberries in the store. The cake turned out very tasty with lots of strawberry flavor! If it was my birthday and someone made me this cake, I would feel so loved. And the naturally pink color is pretty!
Only two criticisms I have is, that the recipe suggests way too much sugar. I used between 2/3 to 3/4 as much sugar as in the recipe and the cake and frosting still turned out way to sweet. And the amount of strawberrycream filling and frosting is to much compared to the size of the cake.
Still, absolute recommendation, because you don‘t see any strawberrycakes like this where I live. To have a pretty pink cake with strawberries 3 different ways in it feels celebratory. Thank you Ginny for this unusual recipe!
So happy you loved it, Dori! Thank you so much for sharing this sweet review. I am glad you found a way to make the sugar work for you!
How many grams are in 6 large egg whites? Just so I have the exact amount for the ingredients
I haven’t weighed it out personally but when I looked it up for you it said 6 large egg whites ≈ 180 grams (sometimes 175–185 g depending on the eggs). I hope this helps!
First off delicious recipe!! You definitely need time to make this cake with care. I just need some help troubleshooting the strawberry paste for next time, how do I get it to be an actual paste? I waited a bit past the mentioned time above and it still was pretty watery after letting it cool off.
I made this into cupcakes and got so many compliments on the icing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing.
Cake itself have great flavour but next time I will make it I will use 1/3 of the amount of sugar in the recipe. It’s way wayyy tooo sweet – that’s also my suggestion for all Europeans that will make this cake 😅
Thanks for the tip and thanks for making this recipe!
Great cake! I made it for my family for Easter and then brought the rest to work the next day. Nothing but compliments and people saying how amazing it is. It isn’t overly sweet and definitely not the artificial strawberry taste. It is the real deal and it’s lovely!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!